Harry Potter and the Ancient Magic
by Colette Graham
Summary: As Harry embarks on his mission to destroy Voldemort, Sirius returns from beyond the veil, and Harry finds an unlikely ally in Draco Malfoy. I promise you adventure, laughter and revenge as Harry travels halfway across the world and beyond it in search
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter woke up, and felt it immediately; today was the sort of day when anything could happen. He had a strange, tingling sort of sensation in his stomach, and his bedroom somehow looked different. Shrugging the feeling off, he got dressed and tossed an Eeylop's Owl Treat to his snowy white owl Hedwig. She hooted her thanks and dived on the treat, munching happily. Harry grinned to himself. He knew now why he felt funny.

Today was his last day in Number Four, Privet Drive.

At midnight that night, he would come of age.

Harry took the steps of the stairs two at a time, leaping from the fifth step to the floor.

"Stop that racket!" snapped his Aunt Petunia, poking her bony face around the kitchen door. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just thinking about freedom", Harry said airily, darting past her into the kitchen. "Got my birthday breakfast ready? Since I won't be here tomorrow I thought you might throw me a party today."

Aunt Petunia gaped at him, her horror written all over her face.

"Never mind!" Harry said cheerily, "I'll get myself something!" And with that, he shoved two slices of toast into the toaster and switched it on.

"Why does that boy sound happy?" Bellowed Uncle Vernon from the living room, trying to compete with the incredibly loud television.

"I've only got one day left with you lot, and my mates are coming to pick me up, that's why!" Harry shouted back. Aunt Petunia gasped, and Uncle Vernon lumbered into the kitchen.

"Are you giving me cheek?" He growled, the vein in his temple throbbing dangerously.

"No", Harry replied coolly, toning down his display of happiness slightly, "I'm just saying the truth, that's all."

"We gave you shelter you sniveling brat, when nobody else would have you", snapped Uncle Vernon, "it's _us _who are lucky to be rid of _you_."

"Whatever." Harry shrugged carelessly and turned his attention to breaking an egg into the frying pan, a liberty he had never before dared to take.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Uncle Vernon shouted furiously, "I don't even allow Dudley to behave like this; I CERTAINLY won't have it from you!"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "You don't let Dudley behave like this?" He repeated incredulously, "Dudley's entire life revolves around treating you two as servants, and eating! He gets away with everything! Speaking of _Dunders, _where is he this morning?"

"He and Piers went to look at mopeds", Aunt Petunia replied with a smirk, "We're getting Dudley one for your birthday."

"Wow", Harry responded smoothly, in exaggeratedly polite tones, "you mean they've started making mopeds that can hold hippos?"

Harry took the few milliseconds of stunned silence this remark won him, and grabbing his egg and toast, raced to the front door, wrenched it open and slammed it behind him. He was impressed by his own daring.

Next stop: Dudley. He walked slowly along Privet Drive, chewing his sandwich thoughtfully. All his life, Harry had longed to escape Privet Drive for good, and now, in a few hours, he would never have to return again. Ron and Hermione, who had been unable to stay with him in Privet Drive due to wedding preparations and parental fears over what had happened at Hogwarts respectively, were to come and pick him up, along with Arthur and Molly Weasley. He just wished the prospect of his mission was not on the horizon.

Harry would not be returning to Hogwarts, much to his sadness and regret; he would be unable to complete his task in the confined environment of the school. He would have to go in search of the remaining Horcruxes; although where he would begin he did not know. He very much hoped that Ron and Hermione would not kick up a fuss and want to come with him, because he needed to do this alone. He didn't want to put anyone else in danger if he could help it, and certainly not his best friends.

"Harry!"

Harry spun around and looked for the owner of the voice that had called him, but he could not see anyone. He had definitely heard it…..

"Who's there?" He called out, dropping the rest of his sandwich on the ground and pivoting on the spot.

Nobody answered him.

That voice…

It was so familiar, but Harry shook that thought from his head quickly. After another few seconds, he shrugged and walked on again, but this time keeping an ear out for any noises behind him; there were none. Putting it down to his overactive imagination (although he didn't have one), Harry hurried onwards to Magnolia Motors, the shop where he was sure he would find his cousin Dudley.

Sure enough, the sight that greeted him when he reached the forecourt was Dudley's massive bottom, as the spoilt young man bent over a moped, examining it carefully, as though he actually knew something about motors. Piers stood next to him, his usual unpleasant, simpering smile on his face.

"Buying my birthday present, are you Dudders?" Harry said loudly, staying a safe distance away.

Dudley gave a yelp and straightened up as quickly as he could. "What are YOU doing here?" He said, massaging his knuckles. Piers fell into line next to him and folded his arms in what Harry supposed was meant to be a menacing fashion.

"I was thinking of buying something", Harry said nonchalantly, "but not a stupid moped. Maybe a _proper_ bike, like that one", he indicated a huge, bright red motorbike to his left.

"Don't make me laugh", Dudley sneered, "you haven't even got twenty pence to your name."

Harry smirked back. Bill Weasley had sent him some Muggle money during the summer, from his vault, in case he wanted to buy anything in the local village. Unfortunately, Bill didn't really understand about the conversion rate from wizarding money to \Muggle money, and he had sent Harry several thousand pounds in notes, although it only amounted to about one hundred or two hundred galleons. Now, Harry pulled the bundle out of his pocket, and watched Dudley's face fall, and Piers" eyes bulge out of their sockets.

"Where'd you get that?" Dudley demanded, taking a step towards Harry, "you stole that from my parents!"

"I did not!" Harry cried indignantly, stowing it away in his pocket again.

"Don't lie!" Dudley snarled. And suddenly, without warning, he charged at Harry with surprising speed, knocking him off his feet.

"STUPEFY!"

Red light surrounded Dudley and he was lifted off Harry and flung several feet away on the ground, as though moved by an invisible hand. Harry thought for a moment that he may have accidentally cast the spell, but he realized that Dudley had not even given him time to reach for his wand.

"STUPEFY!"

Piers crumpled where he stood, gaping.

Harry lay where he was, afraid to get up in case he, too, would be stupefied. Carefully and slowly, he reached into his pocket and drew out his wand.

"Put it away Harry."

A shadow fell over him, and Harry hardly dared to look up….hardly dared to hope…

Dudley's attacker hunkered down beside Harry, and placing a cold hand on his chin, turned Harry's head gently to meet his gaze.

"No…" Harry whispered, "this must be a dream…or you've taken Polyjuice Potion…or…or…who are you?" He scrambled to his feet and backed away. The man stood up too, and held his hands out, palms up, to show he was no threat.

"Ask me something only I would know", he said softly, smiling slightly, "anything."

"Where's the Order headquarters?" Harry asked hoarsely, still clutching his wand tightly.

The man laughed. Even that sound was so familiar to Harry it made a lump rise in his throat and the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

"You know I can't say it aloud", the man said, "but I can tell you it is…or certainly used to be…in a house that is numbered twelve, where I grew up – for my sins."

Harry felt as though there was a small explosion in his chest. With a choked sort of noise, he ran to Sirius Black, who held his arms open for him.

"What happened to you?" Harry asked after several minutes. "How…"

Sirius shook his head. "That is not a story for here or for now", he replied grimly. He was as gaunt and pale as he had been when he had escaped Azkaban. His robes were torn, and his eyes spoke of emotional and physical pain that had not been there before. "Come", he continued, a mischievous grin lighting up his face, "shall we introduce your murderous godfather to your aunt and uncle? I've never met dear old Petunia, though I've heard so many wonderful stories about her!"

"That'd be brilliant" Harry replied. And for the first time since Sirius had fallen through the archway in the Department of Mysteries, he felt truly happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry pounded on the door of Number Four, and Sirius lent his fist to process with a grin. After a few seconds, the door was wrenched open and Aunt Petunia poked her head around it.

'Come back to apologise, have you?' she snapped at Harry...then she looked at the man who stood behind her nephew.

She screamed.

Calmly, Sirius reached forwards and placed a heavily scarred hand gently over Petunia's mouth.

'My name is Sirius Black', he said pleasantly, 'Harry's godfather, best man at Lily's wedding, you may have heard of me. Please don't scream, I'd rather people not know I'm here. May I come in?'

Her eyes wide with terror, Aunt Petunia nodded quickly, and Sirius removed his hand and stepped inside.

'Y...you're wanted...for m-murder', she stammered, backing away from Sirius as Harry shut the door behind them.

'Not anymore', Harry explained, 'it was all a mistake.'

'But...didn't that wizard...say he was dead?'

'You mean Dumbledore', Harry said tersely, 'and yeah, he did say that. We all thought it.'

At that moment, Uncle Vernon came thumping down the stairs, shouting 'what are you screaming about woman? I was in the bath!'

And then his gaze fell on the scene below him: Petunia pressed into the corner beside the door, Harry with his hand on the door, and an extremely disheveled, menacing looking man standing halfway between the two of them. Vernon's eyes bulged and he let out a bellow. 'COME HERE PETUNIA!' He roared, and with a frightened sort of squeak, Aunt Petunia ran up the stairs to her husband. Harry exchanged a glance with Sirius, who grinned mischievously, and turned to face Uncle Vernon, his arms folded.

'Vernon Dursley, I presume?' he said, no trace of a smile on his lips now.

'Who are you?' Vernon snapped, stepping backwards up the stairs, pulling his wife with him. 'What d'you want? The boy's leaving today, he's nothing to do with us.'

'That's Sirius Black', Petunia whimpered, 'the...m-murderer.'

'I explained that to you', Sirius replied patiently, 'it was all a mistake. I've never murdered anyone. However', he continued, pulling out his wand, 'that can all change very quickly.'

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia gripped each other in terror. 'What d'you want?' Vernon choked, his fists clenched.

'A full apology for Harry', Sirius replied, 'and then I want you to get out of here until tomorrow.'

'It's my house!' Vernon shouted outraged, 'you can't –'

But he froze, because Sirius had stepped forwards, his wand held aloft. 'I'm Harry's legal guardian', he said calmly, 'Lily and James would never have wanted you to bring up their son, but that's what happened. You've treated him like dirt, and you flouted the orders of Albus Dumbledore, but I'm not as nice as he is. I _will _curse you into oblivion if you don't do as I say. Now apologise to Harry.'

But Harry wasn't paying attention – Sirius had spoken of Dumbledore in the present tense...he did not know that he was dead...

'Now look here', Vernon replied angrily, 'I'll call the police!'

Sirius laughed. 'You're talking to a man who escaped from a prison guarded by Dementors, evaded capture for almost three years and has come back from the very edge of death. Don't threaten me with your silly Muggle policemen, please. It insults me. Now come down...'

And he raised his wand and muttered something. The next second, Vernon let out a shout as he found himself walking down the stairs against his will. 'It's like invisible arms!' He roared, as Petunia screamed behind him, 'they're pulling me!'

Two seconds later, Aunt Petunia was standing next to her husband, both of them in front of Harry. They stared at him, terror in their eyes and Harry realized he wanted no apology from them. It wasn't worth it. Worse had been done to him than the actions of his relatives.

'Leave it, Sirius', he said wearily, 'they won't mean it even if they say it.'

Sirius looked at him doubtfully. 'Are you sure?' He asked, glaring at the two adults.

'Certain.'

'Get out then', Sirius snarled at them, 'leave us. You're a disgrace to the name of Evans, Petunia. And you...' He approached Vernon until he was mere inches from his face; he was taller than Vernon, and despite his gaunt appearance, the more imposing of the two. 'You're scum. I rue the day I made the mistakes that meant Harry had to suffer living under the same roof as you.'

He wrenched the door open, and stood aside for them to leave. With a gasp, Vernon lunged for his car keys and ran out the door, his wife hot on his heels. They leapt into the car, but before Vernon could close his door, Sirius shouted 'And swing past Magnolia Motors on your way wherever you're going, you'll find your son unconscious outside!'

Then he slammed the hall door and turned to Harry with a beam.

'Well then', he said cheerfully, 'got any Butterbeer?'

'Sirius', Harry said with an effort, 'd'you know anything that's been going on recently?'

Sirius' smile faded. 'No', he replied, 'I came straight here to find you when I...got back. I figured the Order could wait. What's happened?'

'There was a fight', Harry said quietly, 'at Hogwarts. Loads of Death Eaters...and Dumbledore...was murdered.'

There was a stunned silence. 'What do you mean?' Sirius asked blankly, 'how? Who could have killed him?'

'It was Snape', Harry said, hearing the hardness in his own voice. 'You were right about him, Sirius. He was never on our side. Malfoy was meant to do it, but he couldn't, so Snape did.'

Sirius made a strange noise and banged his fist against the wall. 'Dead...' he whispered, 'then...what hope can there be?'

'Hogwarts might not be opening this year', Harry continued, 'I don't think many parents will send their children away from home, now they know that Hogwarts isn't any safer.'

Sirius collapsed onto the bottom step of the stairs. 'Tell me everything', he said hoarsely, 'from the moment I went through the arch.'

And so Harry told Sirius the full story; about Malfoy's attempts during the year to kill Dumbledore, about the time he spent in the Room of Requirement, about Harry's own meetings with Dumbledore...because Harry knew that Dumbledore would have wanted Sirius to know. Something inside him told him this. Anyway, he couldn't tell Sirius everything without explaining about the Horcruxes, Slughorn and the reason why Dumbledore was away from the school on that final night. Sirius listened carefully to everything Harry said, with exclamations when he heard about the Horcruxes, and when he heard about Dumbledore drinking the potion that so greatly weakened him. When Harry had finished, Sirius stood up and began to pace up and down the hall.

'What did you plan to do next, Harry?' He asked, eyeing his godson shrewdly. 'Go after him yourself? Find the Horcruxes?'

Harry realised there was no point in lying to Sirius, so he merely nodded.

'Well I shall come with you, of course', he said, 'and I promise I will not tell anyone else about what you've told me. But where to start?'

'I want to do it alone', Harry replied, 'you've been through enough Sirius, I can do it myself.'

Sirius barked a laugh. 'Give that up Harry, because it's not going to happen. And Ron and Hermione will come too – you know that, so don't try to fight it. It's their right. They're your friends and you need to show their wishes some respect.'

'I only want them to be safe!' Harry protested.

'But they don't want to be kept safe', Sirius argued, 'it's not your decision. You told them your plan, they want to come, so let them. But we can't let anyone know you're gone off somewhere...I'll have to talk to the other about that, yes...did you say if you had Butterbeer or not?'

Harry did, in fact, have four bottles in his room, sent to him by Ron as an apology for not being able to come and stay, so he and Sirius went upstairs and into his room. Hedwig got excited when she saw Sirius, and he laughed, stroking her gently through the bars of her cage.

'How did you come back, Sirius?' Harry asked suddenly, 'Lupin said you were dead. Your house passed to me, and can't that only happen when a wizard dies?'

'Please, Harry', Sirius said quietly, 'don't ask me to tell you. I don't want to remember it, but I can hardly forget if you keep asking me.'

'But I want to understand'; Harry replied, curiosity brimming inside him, 'how –'

'NO, Harry', Sirius said loudly and firmly, 'drop it.'

Harry would have pushed the issue, but something about Sirius' expression stopped him. With a sigh, he said 'Dudley has quite a stash of food in his room, and we may as well entertain ourselves til – Ron and Hermione!' He cried, 'they'll never believe it's really you!'

Sirius laughed. 'Don't warn them', he said, 'I bet their faces will be highly entertaining...now, what about that food?'

So Harry went to raid Dudley's bedroom, and returned with almost all his junk food.

Several hours passed in a pleasant haze of chocolate, crisps and Sirius' school stories. Leaning against the bed, Harry watched Sirius' face light up again as he talked about the pranks he, Lupin and James used to play on the others at Hogwarts. He carefully avoided any tales that contained Snape, but there were plenty despite this.

'And then', Sirius laughed, 'James whips out his wand, and does the Leglocker Curse silently, and poor old Professor Grumpisnout didn't know what had hit him!'

Harry grinned appreciatively.

'So what about you, Harry?' Sirius asked more seriously, 'what have you been up to? Any girls?'

Harry felt himself redden. 'Well just one, really', he began, but was interrupted by the shrilling of his alarm clock.

'It's five o'clock!' He cried, jumping to his feet, 'Ron'll be here any minute!'

And sure enough, as he spoke, the doorbell rang.

Sirius smiled. 'I'll stay up here', he said, 'you bring Ron and Hermione up to help you with your things and here I'll be!'

Harry laughed, and hurried down the stairs two at a time. Staring through the peephole, he saw that it was indeed the Weasleys who had rung the bell, but remembered to ask the security question.

'What colour are my dress robes?' He asked through the letterbox.

'Emerald green', Ron replied, 'now let us in!'

Harry threw the door open, and Hermione threw herself at him with a squeal of delight.

'I missed you so much!' She cried.

'Hurry up now, get inside', Arthur Weasley murmured, looking over his shoulder nervously.

They all crowded inside; Ron, Hermione, Arthur, Molly, Fred and George. Harry tried to bury his disappointment when he realised Ginny was missing, but Mrs Weasley apparently noticed, because as she hugged Harry, she whispered 'Ginny had to help Fleur with the wedding...she wanted to come...'

Harry grunted in reply, and Mrs Weasley ruffled his hair affectionately.

'Wotcher, Harry!' Fred cried, pouncing on Harry and almost squeezing all the air out of his lungs, 'How's life?'

'Oh, quite good I have to say', Harry replied with a grin, as Fred released him into George's equally constrictive hug.

'What?' George said suspiciously, 'that's not like you! You hate this place!'

Harry shrugged, but couldn't suppress the laugh that came next. The Weasleys stared at him in amazement, and Ron thumped him on the back to stop him from choking.

'Come upstairs', he managed to gasp at last, feeling almost drunk with happiness, 'come on, all of you!' And he sprinted back upstairs, Ron just one step behind, the rest following.

'Sirius!' He shouted as he reached his bedroom door, and wrenched it open.

'Not another move, Potter.'

Harry skidded to a halt and took in the scene before him with horror: Sirius lay on the floor, unconscious and bleeding from a cut on his head. Standing over him was his cousin and enemy, her long dark hair straggly and wild, her face full of violent hatred.

'What the...' Ron breathed, peering over Harry's shoulder at the scene.

'What's going on?' Arthur Weasley shouted, sounding panicky, 'Harry?'

'I'd be quiet if I were you, Arthur!' Bellatrix crowed happily, 'I have your son in my sights. It only takes one ickle spell...'

'Don't move', Harry said quietly over his shoulder, 'she has Sirius.'

'What?' Molly Weasley cried, 'but he's...'

'Dead?' Bellatrix screamed manically, 'DEAD? Noooo, a stop was put to that, my friends. Would have been an awful waste. He lived – PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!'

Behind him, Harry heard several thumps as the Weasleys and Hermione fell to the ground, petrified. Ron, however, had obviously ducked the curse, because Harry felt a poke in his back after a couple of seconds, which reassured him.

'But how can you be here?' Harry said, his voice shaking, 'there's a protection on this house-'

'Easily destroyed now your Dumbledore's gone!' She shrieked in delight, 'there are ways – ways Minnie McGonagall would never think of, ways Filius Flitwick would not dream of...they underestimate my Master! All I needed to do was enter with a guest to this house, and I did! I slipped in and up here when Sirius did – and I had to listen to that awful rambling about school all afternoon. You were lucky I didn't kill him outright for that punishment.'

Harry's heart went cold. Was Sirius dead or alive? He couldn't see his chest rising...

'He's alive', Bellatrix hissed, seeing the direction of Harry's gaze, 'but only just. Terribly weak, poor pathetic dog-man. I only came to pass on a message from the Dark Lord.'

'What is it?' Harry asked, feeling Ron's hand on his back and taking some comfort from the fact that he was not alone.

'He says to tell you the time is coming', Bellatrix replied coldly, 'all is revealed now, all allegiances are known. You are few in numbers, you defenders of Hogwarts, you followers of Dumbledore. He said to tell you to seek him when you are ready. He is tired of chasing such a frightened little boy. He will be waiting for you, and so will Death.'

'Death won't be waiting for me', Harry retorted, clenching his fists and remembering that he knew about the Horcruxes, and Voldemort did not know Harry had the key to his demise, 'it'll be waiting for you, Bellatrix. And for Snape.'

'Brave words, pretty little boy', Bellatrix said softly, 'brave words...but false words. My Master has been merciful – he could kill you now if he wanted to – but he has not.'

'Get out!' Harry shouted, afraid he would reveal what he knew if she did not leave. 'I have no message for Voldemort. I'll seek him when I wish to, and not a moment before.'

Bellatrix raised her wand, to curse Harry, but Ron got there first.

'_SECTUM SEMPRA!'_ He bellowed. As the curse hit Bellatrix, she disapparated...and all she left behind her were splashes of blood caused by Ron's well-aimed curse.


End file.
